It is not a secret that the way we take care of our minds, bodies, and general health condition evolves over some time for a number of reasons. Although some of these changes get easily forgotten, some health trends are catching massive attention all around the world, and there is actually science behind them. Here we have put together four major wellness trend of the past decade that can stay with us in future.
Devoting Time For Self-Care
If you scroll through your Instagram, you will most likely see different face masks, cooking, bubble baths and yoga, all being done in the buzz word of #selfcare (which has been hashtagged 47 million times to date).
Indeed, over the past few years, the concept of self-care as a conscious practice has become a popular daily activity for many people all around the world. But it’s not about pampering yourself, but about making time for essential things like healthy eating, sleeping, exercising and taking emotional respites when you need them.
Prioritising Mental Health
The modern self-care movement has also coincided with the rise of meditation and mindfulness, with the popularity of apps like Headspace and Calm and gyms like Equinox incorporating meditation into their exercise classes.
Decades ago, meditation and mindfulness were too spiritual to be talked about in schools, but in the past couple of years, we have seen a proliferation of mindfulness programs for students of all ages. What’s more, research shows that our physical health and health-related behaviours are linked to mental health.
Increasingly, social media users are openly communicating their fight against anxiety, depression and other mental health issues. From actors like Ryan Reynolds to Olympian Michael Phelps, many celebrities have also championed the cause and discussed their mental health challenges.
Opting For A Plant-Based Diet
Due to the growing environmental and health concerns, many people are cutting back on animal products to address these concerns. However, it doesn’t just stop at faux meats – grocery aisles are now filled with plant-based milk, yoghurts and cheeses. As a plant-based diet has a much lower carbon footprint than eating animal products and may be beneficial for reducing inflammation, preventing autoimmune disease and other chronic diseases, the plant-based trend will continue over the next decade.
Paying Attention To Your Gut Health
Have you been drinking some kombucha recently? This natural, fermented beverage – and other probiotic foods such as kimchi, kefir and miso – have gained immense popularity, with sales surging 37.4% in 2017. You can even find kombucha infused with CBD oil, another naturally occurring compound that has become immensely popular in just a few years. Taking CBD oil for anxiety was shown to aid in relieving stress levels and improving sleep quality, as well as providing pain relief. Therefore, CBD kombucha combines the potential benefits of both products and delivers more positive effects to consumers. You can also purchase other products like CBD oil gummies or CBD tea to experience relief and better general wellbeing.
So far, there is evidence that suggests that gut bacteria plays an important role in maintaining the immune system, anti-inflammatory activity, serotonin production and the synthesis of essential vitamins, among others. Also, an imbalance of gut bacteria has been linked with gastrointestinal diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), as well as wider systemic manifestations of the disease such as type 2 diabetes, obesity and atopy. So expect paying attention to gut health and what is going on inside us to become an increasingly important part of wellness.